The Case of the Hesitant Hostess Extended MMStory
by N Burnham
Summary: Picks up a little over four months after Perry and Della's harrowing experience in my other Fan Fiction story, "The Case of the One Eyed Witness." Seems like our favorite couple are not quite out of the woods as another disgruntled person from their past seeks revenge against them. Forgot I wrote this back in the summer of 2009! So happy to share with you now :)
1. Chapter 1

_**The Case of the Hesitant Hostess Extended-Chapter 1**_

 _ **I am trying to write all of my stories in chronological order and have them tied back to TCOT One Eyed Witness as when Perry and Della finally become a couple. TCOT One Eyed Witness takes place in February 1958. TCOT Hesitant Hostess aired in April 1958 with the following as its plot:**_

 **When Albert Sanders is charged with the murder of Kim Lane, Perry offers to defend him free of charge because he knows Sanders is still devastated over the accidental death of his wife and children eight years before. The solution to the case hinges on a heroin smuggling ring operating out of a dance hall.** **My extended version of this story picks up in June of 1958, two months after Perry clears Albert Sanders of murder charges and 4 months after the ordeal I presented with Della's kidnapping in TCOT One-Eyed Witness Extended. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! I wrote this in the summer of 2009 and it took me forever to find it today :)**

He woke up in a cold sweat. His heart was racing and he was having trouble catching his breath as he tore at his soaked white undershirt with his fingers. This happened to him at least twice a week. He needed a drink. Hell, he needed more than a drink he needed to be drunk. What he wouldn't do to feel the slow burn of bourbon down the back of his throat or to feel that familiar burn in his stomach. Drink after drink he could toss back knowing that, eventually, he would feel nothing. All of his senses would be dulled and peaceful sleep would finally come to him. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It read a few minutes past midnight. He stood up and began taking off the sweat drenched undershirt and boxer shorts. No, he wasn't drunk and that was definitely the problem no booze to push away the pain and nightmares.

He walked over to his dresser drawer and took out a clean undershirt. When he reached into another drawer to take out a clean pair of boxer shorts, a woman's handkerchief fell onto the floor next him. He bent down to pick it up. After turning it over in his hands several times, he walked over to his desk and left it there. Then, he put on the undershirt and boxers as well as a pair of slacks and a button down Oxford-style shirt he had laid across a chair in preparation for his job at the music store the next day. Grabbing a pack of cigarettes and matches from a table, he walked over to the French doors that led to his apartment balcony.

It was a clear June night in Los Angeles. He lit a cigarette, tossed the match off the balcony, and took slow drags off of it as he looked out across the city. In his mind, he was a condemned man. God had left him here to suffer for his mistakes. Had he paid the price for his sins yet? That was a question constantly plaguing his mind. Would God welcome him to heaven when his time came or would the suffering have not been enough and he would be cast to the depths of hell? He placed the cigarette between his lips and gripped the balcony railing tightly. Then, he looked up at the night sky skewed by the lights from the city around him. He couldn't believe he had ever wanted to move here. That damned job. If he hadn't needed it so badly nothing would have changed and he wouldn't be standing here alone with his mouth desperately thirsting for a drink.

It had been 8 years since he lost everything that mattered in his life... 8 years since he fell asleep behind the wheel of his car causing it to crash through a guard rail and flip into an embankment. His wife, who had dozed off next to him in the front seat, was thrown through the windshield and killed instantly. His son and daughter, also asleep, were in the backseat and were not so lucky. As the car flipped, a section of guardrail penetrated the back door of the vehicle pinning his son through the stomach and impaling him to the backseat. His daughter had been blasted by shards of broken glass one of which imbedded itself into her neck, just nicking her jugular vein. And he? Well... he suffered a broken leg, a fractured collar bone, many cuts and many bruises, but he had lived. The policeman investigating the accident actually came to the hospital the next day and told him how lucky he was to have survived such a horrific crash. `Lucky?' he wanted to scream at him. Was he lucky to be responsible for killing the woman he had been in love with since the age of 14? Or maybe he was lucky to have stayed conscious just long enough to hear his son crying out for help... crying out for his mother in the darkness as he sat helplessly pinned... slowly bleeding to death and watching as his own blood mingled with that pouring from his unconscious sister.

Blinking back tears and resisting the urge to throw up, he tossed the cigarette over the balcony and ran his fingers across his face and then through his hair. He felt very tired all of a sudden and walked back into the apartment. He sat down at his desk, took out a pen and paper, and began to write a letter. When it was completed, he put it in an envelope, wrote the name "Perry Mason" on it, and then wrapped the woman's handkerchief protectively around it. He stood up, picked up a blazer he had resting on the back of a chair, put it on, and then slipped the letter inside the interior pocket. With one final look at himself in the dresser mirror, he wondered again if God thought he, Albert Sanders, had suffered enough for his mistakes on this earth.

Tears clouded his eyes as he walked back across the room, through the balcony doors and, leapt, head first, to his death on the streets below.


	2. Chapter 2

_**THE CASE OF THE HESITANT HOSTESS EXTENDED CHAPTER 2**_

Perry Mason slowly opened his eyes. His bedroom was still dark, indicating it was sometime in the early morning hours of another Monday. Breathing in deeply, he smiled, closed his eyes, rolled over, and reached across the bed to pull himself closer to someone whom he was sure was there. After three attempts of his arm grabbing at emptiness, Perry sat up in bed and looked around the room. His eyes focused on a light coming from under the bathroom door. The sound of a running shower and familiar humming of a female voice made him realize Della was already awake and preparing to leave for the office. He looked at the clock.

`6 AM? How is she humming at 6 AM when we didn't go to bed until after midnight?' he thought as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. He turned on the lamp that sat on the nightstand. When his eyes caught sight of his surroundings, he smiled broadly, stood up, and began to pick up the pieces of clothing and undergarments strewn about the room. Normally, Della did not stay over on work nights, but they had gone to dinner with friends the previous evening, caught a little late night dancing at a local club, and then headed to a hotel bar for drinks. Since it was such a beautiful night and they were only four blocks from Perry's apartment, he'd suggested they leave the car behind, walk the distance and enjoy the night air.

Della raised her eyebrows and asked, "If we leave the car here, how will I get home?"

"Who says you have to go home tonight? You know what dancing with you does to me." he replied.

Della crossed her arms and gave him that questioning look he loved so much, but said nothing as he stood before her and outlined why he needed and wanted her to stay. It took much finesse on his part to convince her, but the end result was worth it. Each discarded item brought back a happy memory from the night before. When he reached her dress, which was lying on the floor near the bedroom door, he brought the garment to his face and inhaled the lingering smell of her perfume. He walked back towards the bed with it pressed to his face just as Della emerged through the bathroom door.

"Perry? What are you doing?" she asked with a puzzled smile. She was wrapped in an emerald green towel and was using another of the same color to gently dry her hair.

Perry turned around with the dress still pressed to his face and smiled. "I'm remembering last night," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "and good morning to you too."

"Good Morning" she replied as she walked towards him, "And, I agree, last night is definitely worth remembering." She leaned into him and their lips met. Perry tossed her dress aside and pulled her closer to him. As his hands went to remove the towel, she pulled away from him and smiled.

"I don't think so, Mr. Mason."

"Why not?" he asked as he tried to pull her back into his embrace.

"I have to get ready for work. This is Monday, you know." Della handed the second towel to him and began enumerating with hand gestures the numerous tasks of the upcoming day.

"I have to get the office opened up. We always have a ton of mail and phone messages from the service on Monday mornings. You have 3 different in-office meetings today with clients not to mention a meeting with another client at the jail. At some point in time, Paul needs to see you and we both need to make time to look over the paperwork for that Cancer Society benefit you agreed to raise money for ... it's next month and... " Perry interrupted her.

"Okay, okay. I see what you're getting at Della. We have a busy day in store for us and ..." Perry took a step towards her. Using the towel as a seductive tool, he began to softly massage the ends of her hair. Then, he let the towel fall to the floor and wrapped his arms quickly around her. Before she could protest, he pulled her onto the bed and opened the remaining towel from around her body. " I think we should start it off on the right foot." As he kissed her neck and worked his way down her chest, Della did not protest.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" she said playfully as she ran her fingers through his hair. Perry brought his lips up from their previous location and gently brushed Della's with a kiss.

"Yes, Miss Street. I am incorrigible, but you are helplessly in love with me are you not?"

"Hmm-Hmm" she replied.

That was all he needed. He smiled, looked deeply into her eyes for a moment and then allowed his hands and lips to freely roam her body.

"I'm helplessly in love with you too" he whispered in her ear as his lips then tongue gently encased her lobe. As she relaxed under his touch, Della sighed and ran her hands down his strong back as he pressed into her. She closed her eyes and smiled knowing she would not only need another shower after this little interlude, but, now, they would barely make it to work on time.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

As Perry and Della slipped into their own private world, the world outside his apartment building was beginning to awaken with the bustling sounds of commuters heading to work... the honking sounds of cab drivers... the smells of hot food and coffee emanating from various corner diners... and the thumping sounds of bundles of Los Angeles newspapers being dropped off to various street vendors. As the twine holding the papers was cut and busy men and women quickly bought copies as they headed down the sidewalk, the front page headline and numerous pictures was the buzz on everyone's lips.

 **Murder or Suicide-Former Perry Mason Client Found Dead on LA Streets**  
 **Police Seek Prominent Defense Attorney for Questioning in Case**

Former Perry Mason client, Albert Sanders, whom Mason cleared of murder charges just two months ago, was found dead on the street outside his Los Angeles apartment building shortly after midnight. Several witnesses reported seeing the man jump to his death from his apartment building balcony in an apparent suicide, but others report seeing a dark Lincoln, with a male and female passenger, pull up beside the body and fire several shots into it before speeding away. The vehicle, which was later identified as belonging to famed defense attorney, Perry Mason, was found abandoned several blocks away and a handgun registered to Mason was retrieved from its front seat. The body has been taken to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office for a final determination as to the cause of death.


	3. Chapter 3

**THE CASE OF THE HESITANT HOSTESS EXTENDED CHAPTER 3**

It was just before midnight. The hum of a bright red, yellow, and blue fluorescent sign illuminated the living area of the dingy little, one room apartment. She hated living here and she hated that sign. It belonged to the bar across the street and no amount of window coverings could block out its blinding light as it reached into her apartment each night and robbed her of peaceful sleep. Furthermore, she hated the noise from the drunks as they left the bar and the blaring sounds of police cruisers when occasional fights broke out among the men. She was living in the worst situation imaginable to her. However, it was all she could afford now. She walked into the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Disgusted, she took a comb and tried to fix the loose strands of blonde hair that hung in her face. Her heavy eyeliner was smeared around her eyes and she tried to fix this too although she didn't know why. For two months now, her world had been turned upside down. Joseph Gibbs was the only man she'd ever loved and he was in jail. He would stand trial for murder in a few months. After his arrest, the police shut down the Universal Model Agency thus leaving her with no man and no job. District Attorney Hamilton Burger also planned to pursue narcotics trafficking charges against Gibbs. A conviction for either would send him to prison for life. It was all that damn Perry Mason's fault and his little secretary too. If he hadn't stuck his nose into all this, then Joe would still be free. So what if he'd killed Kim? She always was more trouble than she was worth. So what if that drunk Sanders had the rap pinned on him. He'd killed his wife and kids in a car crash so he deserved to be in jail anyway. And to think, Mason even sent his secretary over to pose as a model so she could snoop around and try to get Joe to talk. With anger swelling within her, she brought her fingers to her temples and massaged them deeply. She then reached into the medicine cabinet and took out a small packet of powder. She drew a glass of water from the sink, placed the powder on her tongue, and quickly swallowed the water. She grabbed a second powdered packet and placed it in the pocket of her skirt. She felt a massive headache coming on and the powdery substance was the only thing that could stop it. She crumbled the empty packet and tossed it in the trash.

As she walked out of the bathroom, she heard a knock at the door. "It's unlocked," she called out as she walked over and sat down on a small sofa.

A man entered quickly and looked around the room. "It ain't safe to leave the door unlocked like that, honey. How'd ya know it was me?"

"Who else would it be?" she asked sarcastically. "Did you get everything taken care of like we planned?"

"Oh yeah" he laughed as he sat down and took out a cigarette. "Sanders is at home right now. Mason and Street went out together earlier in the evening, but I've had a guy on them all night. He called a while ago to let me know he saw them getting ready to leave a bar at some upscale, snooty hotel. They're an easy mark if you want me to make the call, but I have to act now while I can still reach my man. He said it looked like they were going for a walk or something."

"No no I want to personally deal with Mason and Street. Then, we can deal with Sanders. Let's go." she replied as she reached over to retrieve her shoes from under the coffee table. "Sanders, Mason, Street they're all gonna get what's coming to them tonight."

With that, the man and woman left the apartment with only one thing on their minds: revenge.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

She sat in a hotel chair near an open window listening to the sounds of the awakening city below. She'd sat there, motionless, for hours. More than once, it had crossed her mind to jump... to sail out head first the way she had seen Albert Sanders do only hours before, but she was frozen in place... the sounds of rapid gunfire resonating in her ears. Across the room, her companion slept soundly as if he hadn't a care in the world. How he could sleep, after the events of the early morning hours, was simply beyond her. She hadn't slept all night. They'd spent two months trying to track down Albert Sanders after reading about his murder trial in the newspaper. The story only made the headlines because he was a local boy and was being defended by the famous Perry Mason.

As the first signs of the morning sun trickled into the room, she sighed deeply. In her hands, she held an embroidered handkerchief and a picture of a pretty, young brunette. The brunette was smiling and holding two young children in her lap. She had looked at the picture at least a hundred times since arriving in Los Angeles the previous night. A fresh round of tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she remembered the day she snapped the photo. The loud ring of the telephone on the nightstand was a welcome intrusion and brought her back to the present. As the sleepy man answered the 6:15 AM wakeup call, she stood up. Slowly, she walked towards an open suitcase, which sat at the foot of the bed. They would be leaving later today to head back home back Midwest. Now, with Sanders dead maybe, they could finally put the long nightmare of the past eight years behind them.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Perry was sitting on the edge of his bed. He'd just finished tying his shoes when Della emerged from his steamy bathroom. As their eyes met, they both smiled but said nothing as Della exited and went into the guest bedroom where she kept her extra clothes and toiletries. Perry grabbed his tie and jacket and walked down the hall to the living room. A quick glance at the clock showed 7:25 AM. He walked back into the hallway towards the guest bedroom door.

"Della?"

"Yes, Perry?"

"It's only 7:25 AM" he replied, "Do you want to eat breakfast here or stop on the way to the office?"

Della opened the door. Perry smiled when he looked down at her. She was bundled up in his robe. She leaned against the doorframe and looked into his face very seriously.

"Perry, we don't have time to stop and eat. We don't have time to eat here. We walked to the apartment last night, remember? We have to go pick up the car first."

A look of realization washed over his face and he smiled. "Well, it seems we have a little predicament here then, don't we?"

"Just a little one" she replied. "What do you propose we do?"

He put his tie around his neck and pulled her into an embrace. "That is a good question, my dear. How about I go get the car while you finish getting ready? Then, we can stop at Clay's and have a quick bite to eat before heading up to the office."

She reached up and kissed him. With her face just inches from his, she whispered, "That is some plan, but, if we stop at Clay's, we'll never make it upstairs by 8:30AM."

Perry grimaced and walked into the living room. Della laughed and followed him.

"Honestly, Miss Street. You know how busy we are on Monday mornings. What were thinking letting me talk you into walking here and then spending the night?"

"What was I thinking? Hmm-hmm" she replied craftily. "So, you're putting the blame on me? And this morning? Am I taking the blame on that too?"

"Yep. You are 100% to blame." Perry grabbed his keys and headed towards the door.

Della followed him. She tapped him on the shoulder just as he was about to turn the knob. He turned, smiled, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh no, Mr. Mason I want your keen legal mind to explain how I have any culpability for what happened this morning."

Perry gave her a boyish grin, thumbed her chin, and replied, "You came into my bedroom wearing nothing but a towel. Any jury would side with me."

She gave a throaty laugh. "Now, that's a trial I'd like to see."

Perry laughed too as he opened his apartment door. "Lock the door behind me, Della. I won't be long."

A look of shock and mild embarrassment replaced their smiles when they were greeted by one Lieutenant Arthur Tragg.

"Well, I see we're all in a good mood this morning Counselor... Miss Street. How convenient that I'm looking for you both and found you in the same place... how convenient indeed. May I come in?"

"Sure Lieutenant although I don't know what could possibly be so important that it couldn't wait until I made it into the office," Perry replied.

Della, keenly aware that she was wrapped in Perry's robe, remained quiet. As Tragg walked past them and sat down on Perry's couch, Della made eye contact with Perry who raised his eyebrows slightly signifying he had no idea as to the purpose of Tragg's visit.

"Uh, Della why don't you finish getting ready for work while I talk with Lt. Tragg."

"Yes, Della why don't you do that." Sensing her embarrassment, Tragg smiled kindly, got up and walked towards her. "Now, now don't worry about propriety with me, Dear. I've been around a long time. I know you two are a couple. That whole Harry Marlow fiasco a few months back let the cat out of the bag on that one so just go ahead and get changed. I'm going to need both of you to come down to the station with me immediately."

"Why's that Tragg?" Perry asked with great concern as he walked protectively towards Della.

"You tell me Counselor." Tragg replied tartly.

"Look Tragg... I'm in no mood for this . What was so important that it couldn't wait until we opened the office?" Perry was clearly aggravated and did not appreciate the uncomfortableness of the early morning intrusion.

"Why murder, Counselor. What else?"


	4. Chapter 4

**THE CASE OF THE HESITANT HOSTESS EXTENDED CHAPTER 4**

Perry and Della exchanged looks of pure disbelief.

"Murder? Alright Tragg... you got our attention. What's this all about?" Perry asked.

"You haven't read the early edition of the local papers yet?" Tragg stated innocently.

Barely able to contain his aggravation, Perry replied, "Noooo... Della and I got in rather late last night. We overslept this morning and I was just about to leave when you and I met at the door."

Tragg could not help but notice the slight blush that colored Della's cheeks as Perry said the word `overslept.'

"I see. Now that is interesting. How late would you say you got in last night?" Tragg asked as he turned and headed towards the couch to sit down.

Perry, noticing Della's concern and apparent uneasiness, brushed his fingers across her cheek, mouthed the words, "go get changed for work," and then nodded towards the hallway. Della took her cue and smiled at him weakly as she left the room. The intimacy of Perry's gesture towards Della was not lost on Tragg. He made himself comfortable on the couch and smiled as he watched her leave. Then, he directed his attention back to Perry.

"Say Perry... how's she been doing since the kidnapping and shooting? I mean is she fully recovered? No lingering anxieties or other issues?"

"She's fine, Tragg. I didn't know you had such an interest in Della's well being." Perry sat down in the chair across from the Lieutenant.

"Now Perry... I've always liked Della. She's a good woman...very smart, beautiful...you are a very lucky man."

"Thank you and I agree but enough of the pleasantries. Tell me about this murder and why we have to come down to the station" Perry stated seriously.

Tragg ignored the question and continued. "And frankly Perry, I've always liked you too. Sure you get on my nerves and aren't always helpful... sometimes downright evasive when I need to question you or a client and... sometimes your methods are what I would call rather questionable but I think you're a good man "

Perry interrupted him. "Get to it Tragg. What about this murder?"

Unfazed, Tragg continued, "And I would hate to see you mixed up in something that could get you disbarred and you and Della sent to prison." With this last statement, Tragg's expression changed from pleasant amusement to complete seriousness as he gazed with steely eyes across the coffee table at Perry.

"Prison? Tragg, are you insinuating that Della and I are mixed up in this murder you won't even bother tell me about? That's absurd!"

"Perry tell me what you and Della did last night?"

Perry looked Tragg in the eye, took a deep breath, and rested back in his chair. "We went to dinner with friends around 7PM and then headed over to the McClain Hotel where we went to the bar and then to the ballroom for some dancing. We called it an evening shortly before 11:45 PM. It was a nice night so Della and I decided to leave the car at the hotel and walk back here. We got home a little after midnight and " Perry paused and cleared his throat, "and we went to bed shortly thereafter."

"You say you left the car at the McClain Hotel?" Tragg inquired.

Della emerged from the hallway. She was fastening an earring in her left ear. At hearing Tragg's question, she moved towards Perry and sat down on the arm of his chair.

"Yes" she replied as she looked intently at Tragg. "We left Perry's car at the hotel. He was leaving to go get it so he could come back, pick me up and then we could head to the office when you met us at the door."

"Were you feeling okay last night Della? I mean did you have to take any medicine for a headache or do you maybe have to take medicine regularly because of your injuries from February?"

"Lieutenant, I haven't taken medicine for those injuries in 3 months and no I did not take any medicine last night. I felt perfectly fine the whole evening. What does this have to do with anything?" Della asked.

"Do you happen to have the tube of lipstick handy that you wore last night for me to just look at of course?" Tragg replied.

Della looked at him and then Perry. Her expression was one of pure puzzlement. Perry nodded his head when their eyes met letting her know it was okay to get the lipstick for Tragg. Della went to Perry's bedroom, retrieved her purse, took out a small tube of lipstick, and handed it to Tragg. He thanked her and placed it in his pocket.

"Okay you two let's get going." Tragg stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Hold on a second Tragg. You still haven't told us what this is all about? We can't just head down to the station on a whim. I have to get my car from the hotel before it gets towed. Della needs to get the office opened up and I have clients coming in all day. I demand you tell me what this is all about." Perry could no longer contain his anger and frustration at how Tragg had tossed around the word `murder' and then proceeded to question them without so much as offering up a reason why or even any information about the supposed murder.

"Well it just so happens we already have your car down at the station, Perry. Your gun too."

Della placed a steadying hand on Perry's arm.

Tragg walked back towards the couch and reached inside his inner jacket pocket. He retrieved a folded up copy of the front page of the morning's paper. Without breaking eye contact with Perry, Tragg tossed it on the coffee table. Della picked up the paper and gasped as she read the headline. She handed it to Perry. As he read, Tragg spoke.

"Your former client, Albert Sanders, took a flying leap off his apartment balcony last night. As he lay dying on the street below, a man and woman drove up in your car and used your gun to pump him full of bullets. A letter to you was found in his jacket pocket. So as you can understand, Counselor, both of you are coming down to the station and giving formal statements right now. I could, of course, get a warrant and have you hauled in on suspicion of murder, but wouldn't it be easier Mason if, just once, you cooperated with me?"

Tragg walked to the door of the apartment and knocked on it three times. A tall policeman opened it, entered the apartment and asked, "You need me Lieutenant?"

Tragg turned back and looked at Perry and Della. "I simply will not take `no' for an answer." Perry and Della looked at one another and then back at the paper. "Well Mason, do I need this fine officer to escort you out?"

Perry grabbed his jacket, took Della by the elbow and led her out the door of the apartment. As he passed Tragg, he crammed the newspaper into his hands and headed towards the elevators with Della. Leaning in, he whispered, "As soon as we get there, call Gertie and have her clear the schedule. Then, get ahold of Paul." Della nodded affirmatively as they were joined by Tragg and the police officer.

 _ **PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD**_

Sitting at a small kitchen table, she drank a cup of hot, black coffee and laughed delightedly at the morning's headline. A man emerged from her bedroom. As he straightened his tie, he walked over to her and kissed her on the neck. She cringed and pulled away from him.

"Say now, baby. You weren't pulling away last night. What gives?"

"You know that didn't mean nothin'. We were drunk, that's all. Too much celebrating." She handed him the newspaper. He looked at the headline and grinned widely.

"Yeah looks good. The police want Mason for questioning? Looks real good. I hope they stick it to him. Happy with how it all worked out?"

"Well I'd liked it better if we'd gotten to Mason to kill him before he and Street disappeared into thin air, but I guess ruining his reputation and framing him for murder works too. Where the hell did they disappear to anyway? Not smart leaving his car like that? And the gun too?" The woman laughed, walked into the kitchen, and put her coffee cup in the sink. "Finding the gun in the glove compartment was just good luck on our part."

The man followed the woman into the kitchen and tried to kiss her on the neck again, but she pulled away. He smiled and leaned against the counter. "What about Sanders jumping off his balcony a few minutes before we got to his place to kill him?"

"I know " she replied as she washed the coffee cup. "And to think I didn't even have to use my gun. Nothing is traceable back to me. Any regrets for helping me?"

"Nope... no regrets especially about last night. You know I'm crazy about you Marge." He tried to pull her into an embrace, but she resisted. He let out a sigh and continued, "Well, anyway, no regrets. Joe was a good business partner and now I'm almost broke. The police have really cracked down on illegal drugs and I haven't been able to move any heroin in from my overseas contacts. It was my pleasure to help you stick it to Sanders and Mason. What about Mason's secretary?"

The woman laughed, dried the coffee cup, and put it in the cabinet. "She's in love him, ain't she? Just like I'm in love with my Joe. Either the police will claim she was in the car with Mason and she'll get jail time or she'll lose her man and her job too just like me. Serves her right, too."

Marge walked out of the kitchen, sat back at the table, and pulled out a cigarette. The man followed her and offered her a light.

"Say what happens if Mason gets off?"

The woman took a long drag on the cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. She looked out the window at the bar sign she hated so very much. "If he gets off" she replied coldly, "then we move to Plan B "


	5. Chapter 5

The morning sun was brilliantly bright and blinded the eyes of the man and woman as they waited outside the hotel for the cab that would take them to the airport. The man appeared somewhat rested, but his companion looked worn. Her eyes were swollen from crying and dark circles surrounded them. Unsure as to how to comfort her and not wanting to say the wrong thing, the man remained quiet as they waited, but his thoughts were never far from her or what they'd witnessed the night before. The plan had been so simple.

His wife had never recovered from the death of her sister or their niece and nephew. After the funeral, Albert had simply disappeared leaving a hefty funeral bill behind. The man knew his wife needed closure... knew she needed to hash things out with Albert... to talk about the accident and discover, no matter how painful, how her sister and the children had died. Had they suffered or was it a quick death? His wife and sister-in-law had been, not only sisters, but the best of friends growing up. They were only 14 months apart in age... had married within a year of each other, and had experienced the ups and downs of pregnancy and motherhood together. However, she and Albert had fallen on hard times when he lost his factory job. The whole family pitched in and tried to help them as much as possible, but Albert saw California as a fresh new start. He'd contacted an old Army buddy, who lined up a job for him and they packed up and headed west. When his wife received the phone call from her parents about the accident and the deaths, she'd screamed and collapsed to the floor with the phone receiver still in her hand. The days that followed were spent in a fog as the family prepared funeral arrangements and waited for Albert to be released from the hospital. When it was over, he was gone leaving behind so many more questions than answers. With no money left to hire an investigator to find him, they tried to put the past behind them. Slowly, life returned to normal in their sleepy little Midwestern town. However, when Albert's name turned up in the local papers as being linked to a homicide and it was reported the great Perry Mason would be defending him, it renewed his wife's interest in finding her brother-in-law so that she could clear up the questions that hung like ghosts around her.

He wished now they'd stayed home and just left well enough alone, but they didn't and now, not only did all those old questions remain unanswered, a fresh new set of questions and troubles had emerged. Why did Albert jump off that apartment balcony? As they rushed towards his body to try and help him, who were the man and woman that pulled up and pumped his body full of bullets? Scared and not used to such violence, had they done the right thing by fleeing the scene? They'd gotten a good look at the shooter. She had light blonde hair swept up in a French twist with small tendrils hanging loose at the neck and one across her forward. She also wore too much makeup and it was smeared. The man looked like something from an old mobster movie. He was tall, medium build, dark hair, dark eyes, and had a scar across the side of his face.

"Oh no no, no, no."

The sound of his wife's voice brought him back from his thoughts. He hadn't noticed she'd walked away from him and was standing near the front doors of the hotel. She was looking at a stack of newspapers that had just been delivered. He walked over, read the headline, and immediately paid for a copy. His wife moved closely to him and read along as well.

 _ **Murder or Suicide-Former Perry Mason Client Found Dead on LA Streets**_  
 _ **Police Seek Prominent Defense Attorney for Questioning in Case**_

Former Perry Mason client, Albert Sanders, whom Mason cleared of murder charges just two months ago, was found dead on the street outside his Los Angeles apartment building shortly after midnight. Several witnesses reported seeing the man jump to his death from his apartment building balcony in an apparent suicide, but others report seeing a dark Lincoln, with a male and female passenger, pull up beside the body and fire several shots into it before speeding away. The vehicle, which was later identified as belonging to famed defense attorney, Perry Mason, was found abandoned several blocks away and a handgun registered to Mason was retrieved from its front seat. The body has been taken to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office for a final determination as to the cause of death.

"We can't leave. We have to go to the police" the woman stated frantically. "I don't know what's going on with Mason's car and gun, but they must have been stolen. I've seen pictures of Mason in the paper and that was not him behind the wheel of the car."

Her husband stood there for a minute absorbing what she'd just said. He then shook his head in agreement. She was right. They had to go to the police and tell them what they'd witnessed outside Albert Sanders apartment.

PDPDPPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

When Perry and Della arrived at the station, they stepped out of the squad car and were met by a beautiful, sunny morning. The sky was clear and the morning temperatures still pleasantly cool although that would change as the summer day pressed on. They were also met by half a dozen reporters who snapped pictures and fired off questions at them as they tried to make their way into the building.

Once inside,they were to be taken immediately to separate interrogation rooms. Before they were split apart, Perry gave Della a reassuring squeeze on the arm. He then turned towards Tragg and requested his statement be taken first.

"Why does it matter who goes first?" Tragg inquired.

"Because I will be acting as Della's legal counsel and she has the right to have me present during questioning. Furthermore, doesn't it make more sense to have me give my statement before I hear any of Della's responses? Makes everything more ironclad since we are each other's alibis wouldn't you say?" responded Perry.

Tragg rolled his eyes. "Fine fine Perry. Now, I am sending in someone to administer paraffin tests to each of you. Would you like to counsel Della on this before we get started?"

Perry looked at Della. "Go ahead and take the paraffin test, but answer no questions or give any statements until I get in there, understand?"

Della nodded and turned her attention towards Tragg. She flashed him a dazzling smile and stepped in closely to him. "Oh Lieutenant before we get started I need to call the office and let Gertie know Mr. Mason and I will be late. I also need to make a few personal calls. Is that alright?"

"Well I don't see anything wrong with that, Della. I'll have a phone brought into the room for you." Tragg smiled back at her pleasantly.

"Thank you" replied Della. Perry could have sworn she batted her eyelashes at him. Tragg then nodded at the policeman who had accompanied them from the apartment to the station. "Make sure you get a phone in there for Miss Street" he directed.

"Yes sir, Lieutenant. Please follow me ma'am." Della gave Perry a subdued smile and then also smiled at the policeman as she followed him down the hallway.

Perry watched Della disappear around the corner. `Amazing how she finagled that telephone out of Tragg' he thought amusedly. Perry knew that smile she gave him was not innocent at all, but her way of letting him know she would make good on getting a hold of Paul and she would do it right under the nose of the police.

Tragg also watched Della disappear down the hall. Then, he looked up at Perry, and noting his expression, said, "She'll be fine Mason. Come along with me."

Perry let out a small laugh and followed Tragg into an empty interrogation room.


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Case of the Hesitant Hostess Extended Chapter 6**_

The interrogation room was silent as Perry and Della waited for Lieutenant Tragg to return. It was 11 AM and had already been more than an hour since Della signed her statement.

"What the devil, do you suppose, is taking him so long?" complained Perry as he looked down at his watch. Della did not respond but continued to fidget with a paper clip left behind on the table. When he received no answer, Perry looked at her and noticed how she kept pushing the paper clip in a circle with her finger.

"Penny for your thoughts" he asked. She said nothing. "Della?"

"Hmmm? I'm sorry Perry. Did you say something?" she replied absentmindedly. Perry smiled and leaned back in the chair.

"Well, I was just wondering what you were thinking about. You look a thousand miles away."

"I was just wondering what's taking so long" she said as she resumed pushing the paper clip in circles.

Perry's smile changed into a large grin. "Great minds think alike, I guess."

"What?" she asked.

"Never mind, Sweetheart I was just wondering the same thing as you, that's all."

"Perry, this is ridiculous. We were together all night. We did not leave, hot wire your car because, how else would it have been taken, and just randomly go off and shoot at a former client. Someone stole your car and your gun and has tried to make it look like us. Surely, Tragg doesn't believe for one minute we would be involved in something like this. He knows us better than that. " She let out a deep sigh and massaged her neck.

"So, this is what you're worrying about over there" he stated matter of factly.

"Well, yes...why?" she said rather perplexed. "Aren't you worried?"

"Not worried. I'm more concerned with how far behind we're getting at the office. We may have to work late several nights this week just to get caught up."

Della dropped her hands from her neck and looked at him in disbelief. "You're not serious."

"Of course I'm serious. As a matter of fact, we may have to work late every night this week to get caught up."

"We work late all the time, Perry, but it's not everyday your car and gun are stolen and used in a murder."

He couldn't hold his poker face any longer and let out a laugh. He moved closer to her, put his arm around her shoulders, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "No, I'm not serious Della."

She let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "Very funny, Mr. Mason."

"Mr. Mason, huh? All right all right " He threw his hands up in a mock surrender. She smiled and shook her head causing him to give her another quick kiss.

"I am very concerned about what Lieutenant Tragg is up to out there though...what evidence he found at the crime scene and exactly why this is taking so long."

At that precise moment, Perry was interrupted when the door swung open and a smiling Tragg announced, "Okay kids you can go now and thanks for stopping by."

Della's mouth dropped slightly. She then pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and turned her body to face Tragg. Clearly, she was aggravated by his cavalier statement.

Perry's body language mirrored Della's. He also swung around in his chair to face Tragg. "What?" he exclaimed. "Listen Tragg I think we are entitled to an explanation as to what is going on "

"Perry, I'm not interested in what you think you are entitled to. Why I'm not even charging you with a crime even though it was your gun used to commit the murder. You and Della were persons of interest... really of curiosity to me... in this case and I wanted your statements. You are not representing a murder defendant here so all information is private. I don't have to tell you anything. Now, as they say, we are finit."

Perry grew angry and raised his voice. "Now look here Lieutenant we most certainly are not finit "

"Oh settle down, I'm just pulling your chain a little." Tragg laughed as he pulled out a chair across from Perry and Della.

"Incidentally, here's your lipstick, Della. Thanks for being so cooperative." He cut his eyes at Perry and continued. "Look all I can tell you is Albert Sanders did not die in that fall. Bullets from your gun being fired from someone in your car killed him. You both passed the paraffin test and your statements provide each other with an ironclad alibi. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're all done here. We're also done processing your car. You'll find it in the front parking lot."

Perry remained quiet as he spoke, but Della, now recovered and fully composed, smiled politely and replied, "Thank you Lieutenant Tragg."

"Look I'm sorry it took so long for me to make it back here, but we just had two eyewitnesses from last night come forward. They actually may be of interest to you, Mason. It was the sister-in-law and brother-in-law of the victim. She gave a statement just 20 minutes ago in which she claims to have seen the killer and the driver of your car. She swears neither you nor Della was in the car."

Tragg waited for a reaction... some change in Perry's expression. When he saw none, he continued. "There's also the matter of this, Perry." Tragg pushed an envelope across the table. It had Perry's name scribbled across it and a small spatter of dried blood. The change in Tragg's tone from a business to personal nature caused Perry to soften his expression.

"The letter you found on Sanders?" he asked.

" Yes. It's a suicide letter addressed to you. We found it wrapped in this handkerchief." Tragg reached into his pocket and took out a dark blue, woman's handkerchief. He handed it to Perry who passed it to Della. Gently, she unfolded it being careful not to touch the dried splotch of blood covering one corner. As she smoothed it out across the table, Della admired the beautiful white and silver embroidered flowers that circled around a poem embroidered in the same silvery thread. She then read the words aloud.

So, we'll go no more a roving  
So late into the night,  
Though the heart be still as loving,  
And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,  
And the soul wears out the breast,  
And the heart must pause to breathe,  
And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,  
And the day returns too soon,  
Yet we'll go no more a roving  
By the light of the moon.

"Beautiful" Della said softly, "but also very sad. It sounds familiar? Byron?" She looked at Perry.

"Yes Lord Byron." Perry replied as he turned the envelope from Sanders over and over in his hands. "Byron wrote it about the fatigue of age conquering the restlessness of youth."

"Really?" She looked back at the poem. "I guess...to me it sounds more like he's describing how the coming of age the maturing of a man and woman in a relationship slows the passions once felt their youth."

"That's what is so beautiful about poetry, Della. It can mean so many things to so many different people." He replied.

Della looked at Perry with a great deal of concern. "I wonder what it meant to Albert." She paused and then lightly touched his forearm. "Are you gonna read that here or wait `til later?"

"Later" Perry responded rather quietly. Clearly, the presence of the envelope disturbed him. He looked across at Tragg, held up the letter, and asked "Have you personally read this, Lieutenant?"

The men's eyes met for a brief, but meaningful moment. Tragg shook his head affirmatively. Clearly, the levity of his initial entrance into the room, had faded away.

"I need it back though Perry since its evidence. I made a copy for you." He took the copy out of his pocket and slid it across the table. Reciprocating the move, Perry passed the blood stained envelope back to Tragg. Tragg then held his hand out to Della, who delicately folded and returned the blue handkerchief.

"Thank you" he said as he took it from her. He stood up, and walked towards the door of the interrogation room. Before walking out, Tragg looked back at Perry as if he wanted to say something but instead smiled sadly and turned away.

Della watched Perry carefully for a moment wondering what was going through his complicated mind. He was completely lost in thought. Finally, she took her hand and gently touched his hand. "Perry?"

Perry turned a serious yet searching gaze in her direction. "I'm sorry Della. It's just I wonder why of all the people " He looked down at the folded letter.

"I know, Perry. I know. Let's go for a quiet lunch and then head to the office. Paul's meeting us there later around 3 PM. Maybe he's turned up something." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and then lightly on the lips while stroking the back of his neck.

"We'll take a look at the letter together when you're ready okay?" His eyes met hers and a look of quiet understanding passed between them. He nodded and placed the letter in his jacket pocket. Della stood, offered her hand to him and together they made their way out of the police station.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7:**_

Perry and Della were descending the front steps of the Los Angeles Police Department when they heard a man's voice calling out, "Mr. Mason Mr. Mason, please wait."

Both Perry and Della turned to see a man approaching them at a brisk pace. He was tall, thin and wearing a pair of black pants with a short-sleeved, white, button down shirt. He had salt and pepper colored hair and dark brown eyes. Following him, at a much slower rate of speed, was a very petite woman dressed in a black skirt, white shirt and black flats. Her physical appearance bore a sharp contrast to that of the man. While he still looked somewhat youthful, she had deep lines etched across her forehead. She also had noticeable fine lines and dark shadowing around her blue eyes. Her blonde hair, which was pulled up in a French twist, was streaked with splashes of silver. While the man offered a pleasant smile as he extended his hand to Perry, she only nodded and gave Della a sad smile and faint `hello.'

"Mr. Mason, my name is Jasper Todd. This is my wife, Anna Marie. I don't know if Lieutenant Tragg mentioned us to you, but we are Albert Sanders' in-laws."

A look of pleasant surprise replaced the stone expression Perry had worn since he and Della left the interrogation room. Perry extended his hand to Mrs. Todd. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. This is my secretary, Della Street." Della nodded and smiled at the couple. Upon looking down at the woman's free hand, she noticed Mrs. Todd carried a folded dark blue woman's handkerchief. It had beautiful white and silver embroidered flowers that circled around some words embroidered in the same silvery thread. Della gently nudged Perry, but there was no point he'd already noticed the handkerchief and his eyes briefly met Della's in quiet acknowledgment of what was before them.

"Listen, Mr. Mason," Todd said as he placed a steadying arm around his wife's shoulders. "I'm sorry you and Miss Street were hauled in here for questioning. We witnessed the whole thing, but didn't want to get involved in a murder investigation when we needed to get back home to our children. When we saw the morning newspaper, we knew we couldn't leave without clearing your names."

"Lt. Tragg told us you witnessed the murder. Had you ever seen the man and woman before last night?" Perry asked.

"Goodness no. Anna Marie and I only came out to California a couple of days ago. Albert's wife, Andrea, and Anna Marie were sisters. See Albert sort of disappeared after her and the children's funerals and we'd wondered what happened to him. When we read about his murder trial in the local papers, we decided to try and find him."

Todd stopped speaking and looked down at his wife. She was staring down at the ground and turning the handkerchief over and over in her hands. Tears were forming in her eyes.

"We wanted to see him, Mr. Mason to talk with him to find out exactly what happened the night of the accident. We have so many unanswered questions," Todd stated.

"And now we'll never know." For the first time, Mrs. Todd spoke and she looked up at Della as she did so.

"Do you have a sister Miss Street?"

"No, no I don't," Della quietly responded.

"Oh." The woman again looked down at the ground and began turning the handkerchief over and over in her hands.

"I do have a brother that I'm very close to," Della said as she stepped closer to Mrs. Todd. "Of course, I've heard the bonds are a lot different when it's sister to sister or brother to brother."

Della placed her hand gently on the hands of Mrs. Todd who had turned her attention away from the handkerchief and completely to Della's soothing voice.

"It's a terrible thing losing a sister ...losing your best friend. It leaves a hole right in here," Mrs. Todd said as she pointed at the space just over her heart. "True... life goes on and everyone tells you time will lessen the pain. I've gotten on with my life, but I haven't found peace, not true peace yet anyway. Time hasn't done much there."

"You must know Albert loved your sister very much. As for the children, I can't imagine the agonizing pain of losing one and he lost two. It was a horrible, horrible accident that he never forgave himself for even though it wasn't his fault," Perry stated softly to Mrs. Todd.

"I know, Mr. Mason. If he'd just talked to us instead of running away " Mrs. Todd's voice trailed off and her eyes filled with tears.

Della put her arms around the woman and gave her a supportive hug. Then, she took a tissue out of her handbag and handed it to Mrs. Todd who whispered, "thank you."

"You're welcome. Besides, I wouldn't want you messing up your beautiful handkerchief," Della stated with a warm smile. "I've never seen such exquisite embroidery. It's very obvious a great deal of work and patience went into it. Did you make it?"

A lovely smile brightened Mrs. Todd's face as she dabbed her eyes with the tissue and handed the handkerchief to Della.

"Actually, no I didn't make this one although I do enjoy sewing. Andrea made this one for me. Do you sew, Miss Street?"

Neither Perry nor Mr. Todd made any attempt to interrupt the women's conversation. Mr. Todd was simply pleased to see a ray of happiness pass across his wife's face while Perry silently marveled at Della's ability to read the situation and respond kindly to Mrs. Todd's needs while also cleverly working their conversation in the direction of the handkerchief.

"Yes, I do sew. My mother and grandmother taught me. I've always enjoyed doing it too. Your sister had quite a gift, Mrs. Todd. The use of colors especially the silver thread and this poem are wonderful. Does it have any special meaning... the Byron poem that is?" Della asked as casually as if she and Mrs. Todd had been friends for years.

"Actually, it does. You see, when Andrea and I were little, we used to play make believe, dress up, and put on plays for our parents and the other neighborhood children. As we got older, the nature of the songs and plays we performed for our friends also became `older' you might say," Mrs. Todd winked and smiled at Della. "Sleepovers were our favorite times to entertain our friends. We would get some of our biggest laughs singing and acting out this old sea shanty called, The Maid of Amsterdam. Just listen to these words:

She placed her hand upon my knee,  
Mark well what I do say!  
She placed her hand upon my knee,  
I said "Young miss, you're rather free."  
I'll go no more a roving with you fair maid!  
A rovin', a rovin',  
Since rovin's been my ru-i-in,  
I'll go no more a roving  
With you fair maid!

"Well, Miss Street you can imagine what the rest of the song entailed."

Della smiled and laughed as she shook her head affirmatively. Perry chuckled and Della was sure the color in his cheeks had deepened.

"Well, Jasper and Albert were childhood friends," Mrs. Todd continued, "We all sort of found our way to each other in junior high school."

"Yes, we were quite the foursome, Miss Street," Mr. Todd interjected.

"Albert was smitten with Andrea from the moment they met and they dated all the way through high school and then married the next year as did Jasper and I." Mrs. Todd smiled up at her husband. "When Albert and Jasper `found out' about our little performances at sleepovers, they teased us by singing and `acting out' this one song. Albert always did love music." Once again, the sadness returned to her face.

"Albert did some research and found out Byron's poem was partly based on this song. When they married, he gave Andrea an embroidered handkerchief identical to this one. Instead of the song lyrics, he had his mother embroider the words to Lord Byron's poem. She carried the handkerchief down the aisle as part of her, `Something old, something new, something borrowed " Mrs. Todd gently took the handkerchief back from Della, " something blue." Tears filled Mrs. Todd's eyes as she placed the handkerchief in her handbag.

"When Anna Marie and I married, Andrea was her matron of honor. She made an identical handkerchief for Anna Marie and presented it to her on our wedding day as part of her, "something borrowed, something blue," stated Mr. Todd.

"That is a beautiful story, Mrs. Todd. Even with Andrea gone, you have this beautiful reminder of your sister's love for you and of wonderful childhood memories." Della's eyes glistened with tears as she took Mrs. Todd's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mason. I hope we haven't taken up too much of your time." Mr. Todd smiled warmly and extended his hand.

"No, no, not at all, Mr. Todd. It has been a privilege meeting both of you." Perry shook Mr. Todd's hand.

"Miss Street, it has been a pleasure meeting you, but we must go now if we are to make the next flight back home." Mr. Todd took his wife by her elbow and, as they turned to leave, she smiled at Della, broke free, and gave her a quick hug.

"Thank you Miss Street," she stated with more tears filling her eyes.

"Whatever for, my dear?" Della asked as she returned the hug.

"For asking about the handkerchief. I've focused so long on the sadness I felt at the loss of the person who gave it to me that I'd forgotten the joy and spirit in which it was given. You gave some of that back to me."

With that, Mrs. Todd returned to her husband. Perry placed his arm around Della as they watched the couple walk away. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered, "You are truly amazing." She smiled.

"Now we know the significance of Albert wrapping the suicide note in the handkerchief," Della stated without taking her eyes off Mr. and Mrs. Todd as their forms became smaller in the distance.

"Yes, we do." Perry replied sadly. With his arm still around Della, he guided her down the steps and in the direction of his parked car, but, as soon as they climbed in, his mind began to wander. What had Tragg said to him in the interrogation room?

"You are not representing a murder defendant here so all information is private. I don't have to tell you anything. Now, as they say, we are finit."

Sure Tragg said he was only teasing when he spoke those words, but Perry wasn't buying into the joke. He knew from the moment he had himself assigned to defend Albert over 2 months ago that Albert was a good man. Bad things just sometimes happened to good people. Perry's mind then wandered back to February... back to those moments after Della was shot by Harry Marlow ...to the guilt, fear, and overwhelming, devastating sense of anguish he experienced when he thought he'd lost her forever... when he thought her death would be his fault... how he did not want to live without her and begged God not to take her away. He had tasted only a small amount of the pain Albert Sanders lived with everyday for eight years. No he was definitely not finit when it came to finding out who stole his car, stole his gun and proceeded to further hurt a man who had already suffered so much in his life.


	8. Chapter 8

Perry and Della grabbed a quick lunch on their way back to the office. Neither enjoyed starting the week off behind on their work and, after the events of the morning, they found themselves swamped with it as soon as they walked through the doors. However, despite their best efforts, both found it difficult to concentrate on their individual tasks.

They had taken their lunches into Perry's office and eaten while reading through the various phone messages taken by Gertie. In between bites of her turkey and Swiss sandwich, Della quickly sorted the large stack of mail that had accumulated between Saturday and Monday morning. She then placed one stack next to Perry, gave him a quick smile, and left his office.

Della sat the remaining mail on the edge of her desk, collapsed in her chair and looked down at the various documents and letters needing attention. She took a deep breath and loaded a sheet of paper in the typewriter, but couldn't concentrate enough to make any sense out of Perry's notations. Her thoughts were with Mrs. Todd. Slowly, Della replayed their conversation in her mind. The story of the embroidered handkerchief haunted her. Della turned away from the typewriter and rubbed her hands across her face. She opened her desk drawer and took out a picture of she and Perry which had been taken just a month before. They were sitting on a blanket that was spread out under a shade tree in the park. Perry had given a couple of quarters to a boy, who was riding by on his bike, and asked him to take the picture. She thought of how happy she and Perry had been these past 4 months since finally proclaiming their love for one another. She kissed her fingers, touched them to the picture, and placed it back in the desk drawer.

Her thoughts returned to Albert Sanders. She had always felt such compassion for him. The story behind the loss of his wife and children was simply too tragic and she'd been moved to tears when Perry told her about it the day he'd become Albert's attorney. But now she felt something different... something she couldn't put into words. Albert wasn't just another tragic figure to her... not just another man who turned to the bottle rather than face his demons and certainly not just another client saved by Perry. The embroidered handkerchief and the story behind it showed her that he was a man with the heart of a romantic ...a man who knew music ...knew poetry and knew exactly how to touch the heart of the woman to whom he'd pledged his eternal love.

`No wonder Perry felt such a connection to him,' Della thought. Perry certainly never ceased to amaze her. He was notorious for going out of his way to find her the perfect gift, to plan the perfect date, or to make the perfect romantic gesture when she least expected it. Until today, she thought Perry had simply taken pity on Albert Sanders and felt compelled to help him as he had felt compelled to help so many other clients in the past. Now, she knew differently. It wasn't just that Perry wanted to help him. Perry actually saw a part of himself in Sanders. Anyone could emphathize with a man who'd lost his entire family in a tragic car accident, but Perry's interest went deeper. Perry understood Sanders guilt ... the gut wrenching agony he felt as he held himself personally responsible for causing his family's deaths because Perry had held himself responsible for her kidnapping and subsequent brush with death from 4 months earlier.

Della leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Although painful, she took herself back in time to that day... to the bedroom ...to the prison Harry Marlow had created for her and to those first moments after Marlow had shot her. She would never forget Perry's words as long as she lived.

"Oh God, just hold on darling. The ambulance is coming, please hold on Della, please don't leave me. I can't live without you. Do you know that? I love you I love you so much I've loved you from the first moment I saw you you're all I ever think about you're all that matters I'm so sorry so sorry please hang on."

Della remembered the feel of his tears as they hit her face and the soft kisses he'd placed on her forehead, cheeks, and lips. She'd desperately wanted to respond to him, but could not make a sound.

"Can you hear me? I love you I love you more than my own life... please don't leave me. I don't want to go on without you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but it's always been you no one else Della only you. There's no life without you."

She shivered in her chair as she heard his last words, which were whispered not to her, but to a higher power.

"God, please I can't live without her I don't want to live without her. My life would be empty, please God spare her and give her strength to just hold on."

Della opened her eyes and wiped away the tears which were spilling down her cheeks. "Oh Perry," she said aloud, "the shooting wasn't any more your fault than the car accident was Albert's fault. No wonder you took his case."

She turned back to the typewriter and re-focused her attention on the work at hand.

Perry watched as Della took the second stack of mail from his desk, smiled softly at him, and closed the door behind her. `I am such a lucky man,' he thought to himself as the last traces of her perfume hung in the air. The day had started with such promise. Suddenly, the vision of her in nothing but a towel flickered through his mind and he smiled. Then, he pictured her body as he'd removed the towel... recalled the dampness of her skin under his and the fresh smell of soap mixed with a hint of the perfume which currently hung in the air around him. He reached over to pick up the stack of letters left by Della when he saw his jacket slung across the back of a random chair across the room. The happy memories of he and Della's love making dissipated and were replaced by the memory of Tragg sliding a copy of Albert's suicide note to him down at the police station.

Perry sighed. The letter was there in his jacket... a possible explanation for Albert's suicide attempt. Could it also be a clue as to who would want him dead? Perry tapped his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. Next, his mind wandered back to when he'd first seen Albert. He had been arrested for murder. Then, he'd been arraigned and needed counsel assigned to him. Perry recognized his name... knew the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the deaths of his wife and children from the newspapers, and had requested to be assigned as his attorney.

`Amazing,' Perry thought as his eyes moved back to the jacket, `I wasn't even suppose to be in court that day.' A chance encounter with a former law school buddy, Andy Townsend, had kept Perry from leaving the courtroom after his own client was arraigned on assault charges. Andy, who had just been hired by the District Attorney's Office, explained the murder charges pending against Albert to Perry. Maybe he was intrigued by the events that seemed to mark yet another sad chapter in the man's life... maybe it was just gut instinct telling him Sanders was no killer... maybe he identified with Sanders pain... understood the guilt associated with feeling responsible for harming the one person you love more than anyone else in the world. Perry stood up and began pacing around the room. Anytime thoughts of Della's kidnapping and the assault by Harry Marlow entered his mind, he found it impossible to remain still because a new flood of adrenaline mixed with old, raw emotions filled his body. His heart rate would increase and sometimes he would even break into a sweat. The nightmares were the worst... his fears and guilt came to the surface unchecked unfettered and he'd have to reach over and feel for her next to him in bed to assure himself it was indeed a dream and she was safe. Perry stopped by the windows and stared off into the distance. `Poor Albert,' he thought, `he lived a constant nightmare guilt and loneliness during the day... terrors at night. Only, when he awoke with a pounding heart and covered in sweat and reached out for his love, she was not there.'

Perry and Albert: two men, each fighting their own demons, brought together by a chance courtroom meeting, and now, their paths and lives were forever intertwined.

By late afternoon, Perry and Della had managed to get caught up on the day's work. Perry was jotting down a few last changes he wanted made in a legal brief when he looked down at his watch and realized Paul was two hours late. He reached over and hit the button on the intercom.

"Della?"

"Yes, Perry?"

"Have you heard anything from Paul?"

"No, not a peep," she replied. She heard him sigh. "Did Gertie get my meeting with the client down at the jail rescheduled for tomorrow?"

"Yes, she did, Perry."

"Good. Will you come in here, please?" Perry asked.

"I'm on my way. Do you need anything?"

"Just you, Della, just you."

A moment later, Della opened the office door and found Perry sitting on the edge of his desk, a look of worry and concern etched across his face. She closed the door behind her, but made no move towards him. Instead, she leaned back against the closed door and smiled. "Just me, Mr. Mason?"

He stood up and walked over to her. Slipping his arms around her waist, he rested his forehead against hers and then kissed her lightly on the lips. "Just you," he said again with a smile. "Has Gertie gone for the day?"

"Yes," Della replied. She ran her fingers through the back of his hair and then loosened his neck tie.

He kissed her again, took her hand and led her over to the couch. As he sat down, he pulled her into his lap and rubbed his one hand up and down her leg while the other rested on her hip.

"Paul's late. Didn't he say he'd be here at three?" Perry watched his hand as he moved it up and down her leg.

"Yes, that was the plan. You worried?"

Perry stopped petting her, rested his head back against the couch, and closed his eyes. "A little," he replied.

"Do you want me to call his service and see if they can track him down?" Della again ran her fingers through his hair and stopped to massage his temples.

"That feels nice," he said with a smile, "and, no, I don't want you to call the service yet. If he's not here in an hour, we'll leave word for him to call us at my apartment."

"Hmmm ... your apartment?" Perry opened his eyes to find Della's eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.

"Your apartment?" he asked innocently.

Della laughed and kissed him playfully. She loved it when he gave her that "innocent little boy" grin because, as past experience had taught her, he had a lot more than innocence on his mind anytime he suggested they stay together on a work night.

"Hey what's so funny in there?"

Perry and Della looked around to find Paul Drake poking his head through the back door of the office.

"Well, speak of the devil " Della said as she stood up and walked towards Perry's desk.

"Hey beautiful," Paul said with a big grin as he walked in and plopped himself down in a chair.

"Well, thanks for joining us, Mr. Drake. Where've you been anyway?" Perry asked. He made no move to give up his comfortable position on the couch.

"You know, Perry, when a woman kisses me, she usually doesn't laugh," Paul said with a smirk.

Perry laughed. "Oh, is that why you're late? Out kissing on some beautiful woman while Della and I slave away?"

"Hmm-Hmm I saw how much you were `slaving' away just now." Paul replied. Della swatted him on the back of the head with her notepad as she went to sit down next to Perry.

"Ouch!" Paul exclaimed as he feigned a hurt expression for Della. She simply rolled her eyes at him and opened her notebook.

"And, for your information," Paul continued, "I'm not late because of a female. I'm late because Tragg and Burger are keeping a tight lid on this Albert Sanders murder investigation."

Perry sat up on the edge of the couch. "Is that so? What were you able to find out, Paul?"

"First of all, Sanders died from extensive gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen. The fall did not kill him according to witnesses. He was still breathing and semi-conscious when the people driving your car pulled up and shot him. Witnesses said he was muttering the name, `Andrea,' over and over again."

Perry and Della's eyes met for a brief moment.

The look did not go unnoticed by Paul. "I take it you two already know that's the name of his late wife?"

"What else, Paul?" Perry asked quietly.

"Witnesses didn't get the best look at the man and woman in the car other than to report they looked rough. The woman had blonde hair, heavy eye makeup which was smeared and the man had dark hair. One witness said he looked almost like a mobster from an old movie. The only thing one set of witnesses, the Todds, knew for sure was that you and Della were definitely not the same people driving the car."

Perry looked at Della who was writing down everything Paul said to them. When she stopped, he looked back to Paul.

"Were you able to find out anything about the physical evidence left at the scene or in my car if there was any?" Perry asked.

"Yep Police found an empty medicine packet with powder residue on the front floorboard of your car. It had lipstick smeared across it."

Perry's and Della's eyes met again. "Well, Della," Perry said as he stood up and walked around the room. "That explains all of Tragg's questions about your health this morning at my apartment and down at the police station."

Della nodded and added, "It also explains why he was so interested in the lipstick I wore out last night."

"Yes, it does," replied Perry.

"But Perry I don't get it. What good did it do for Tragg to ask me for my tube of lipstick? I could have just handed him any old tube and said that's what I had been wearing the night of the murder. What does it really prove?"

"Nothing," Perry said as he walked towards the windows, "It proves nothing, Della, unless Tragg really thought you were guilty. Then, he and Burger might seize all of your lipsticks in an effort to prove you owned a shade like that found on the medicine packet. Even then, if they had a match, it would be very weak evidence and any decent defense attorney could rip it to shreds in court. Tragg knows that. No, he wasn't interested in whether your lipstick was a match to that found on the medicine packet in the car. He wanted to see your reaction to his asking for the lipstick. Your reaction told him volumes more than the lipstick ever could."

Paul stretched, stood up and walked over to Perry. "If I hear anything else, I'll let you know, okay?"

"Sounds good, Paul." Perry patted his back. "Have a good evening and thanks."

"You have a good evening too, Perry." Paul walked over and opened the back door. As he did so, he turned around and said to Della, "See ya later beautiful."

"See ya later, Paul." Della replied, "Stay out of trouble tonight."

"I won't make any promises, but I'll try." He winked at her and exited out the door.

Della stood up, walked over, and stood directly in front of Perry. He ran the fingers of his right hand across her cheek.

"You want to eat dinner in or out tonight?" he asked.

"It's still early," she replied. "If we go back to my place, I can make us a nice dinner and then we can sit out on the patio for a while... maybe try to focus on something other than what's been going on today?"

Perry wrapped his arms around her. "I like your thinking, Miss Street. How much time do you need to finish things up out there?"

"Give me about 30 minutes. I have a couple of other things to finish typing and then we can lock up." She looked into his eyes and, although he was smiling, she could still see the worry. "Come on, Perry let's try not to worry about this anymore tonight?" He shook his head to signal a `yes' and she kissed him tenderly on the cheek before turning to leave.

Perry made his way to the law library where he returned some books to their shelves. Then, he turned out the lights. He also turned out the bathroom lights and locked the back door to his office. Next, he turned out his office light, grabbed his jacket, put it on, and opened the door to enter Della's office.

"Almost ready?" he asked as he watched her put the covering back on the typewriter.

"Just about," she said with a smile, "Will you turn off the lights?"

Perry turned out the lights, took Della by the elbow, led her into the outer offices and past Gertie's desk. Just before reaching the door, he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye and spun quickly around, but it was too late. Two men emerged from the shadows.

Stepping in front of Della in a protective manner, Perry spoke to them in a loud, threatening tone, "Who the hell are you? What do you want?" From out of nowhere, one of the men swung a baseball bat and hit Perry across the ribs. Perry felt a sickening crack as he hit the ground on his knees. Della screamed out, "Perry!" and tried to shield him, but the other man pulled her back as the bat swung again and landed across Perry's back leveling him flat to the ground. Sobbing, Della fought against the man who had her arms pinned behind her. Again, the other man raised the bat and struck Perry across the back as Della screamed, "No! You'll kill him."

"Enough!" yelled a raspy, female voice from the darkened shadows. "Drag him back into the office and leave him on the couch."

The woman, who had blonde hair swept up in a messy French twist and smeared eye makeup, walked over and stood in front of a sobbing Della Street.

Della looked at her and shouted,"What do you want? What is going on here?" The woman slapped her across the face and replied, "Plan B, Miss Street that's what's going to happen tonight... plan B."


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Case of the Hesitant Hostess Chapter 9**_

"Plan B?" Della said angrily. She tried to break free of the man holding onto her, but he only smirked and tightened his grip.

Della looked at the woman who had just slapped her with a mixture of anger and confusion. "Who are you? What do you want?"she said.

The woman offered no reply, but directed her attention to the man.

"Let her go and help finish Mason off," she said as she nodded in Perry's direction. The man released his grip and started to move towards Perry. Della shouted, "No!"

She pushed past him and the woman, and ran towards Perry, who was trying to get up from the floor. The woman held out her hand and halted the man as he tried to grab after Della.

"Feisty little thing, ain't she?" said the woman with a laugh. The man continued to smirk.

Della knelt at Perry's side. He looked her in the eye and mouthed, "Get out of here now." Using his eyes, he looked at the side law office doors that went back behind Gertie's desk and mouthed, "Take that way out I'll stall for time."

"No," Della whispered.

Sensing something was going on between them, the woman motioned for the man with the baseball bat to hit Perry again. From her peripheral vision, Della saw him raise the bat and flung herself between it and Perry. She raised her hands in an attempt to grab the bat away from him, but, instead, the bat struck her forearms. Della dropped to her knees in pain. Perry, who had managed to pull himself up using a waiting room chair as leverage, turned just in time to see the bat strike Della. He felt a flood of fury engulf his body and he no longer felt the pain in his back or side.

As she dropped to her knees, he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulled her into him, turned his back with her body held closely to his and shielded her as much as possible as the baseball bat was swung again. Perry felt it slam into his back and it took all his strength to continue to shield Della and not fall back on his knees and thus take her to the ground with him. The bat swung through the air again this time hitting Perry in the back of his knees. He heard a cracking sound and felt a sharp, knife like stab. The second man moved to join the fight while the woman stood back and watched with glee. Before his knees buckled under him, Perry pushed Della away, grabbed the waiting room chair, and, with all his strength, swung around and hit the man holding the baseball bat causing him to drop it on the ground. The other man moved towards Della in an attempt to capture her, but Perry grabbed the bat from the ground, rose up, swung it, and hit him in the back of the neck. He fell to the ground at Della's feet unconscious and bleeding from his mouth, nose, and ears.

In the meanwhile, the other man got up from the floor and grabbed a glass vase with flowers from Gertie's desk.

Della screamed, "Perry, watch out!" but it was too late. The man slammed it into the back of Perry's head. He, too, fell unconsciously to the ground at Della's feet. Della started to move to him, but she heard a click. She looked up and saw the blonde woman pointing a gun at her. A look a pure hatred passed between the two women as the man proceeded to drag Perry into his office and drop his body on the couch. The blonde woman motioned with the gun for Della to enter the office too. Della stepped over the body of the second man and quickly moved into the office to find Perry. Slowly, the woman followed after her keeping the gun pointed at her the entire time. As Della rushed to Perry's side, the woman watched in amusement at the scene unfolding in front of her. She went to Perry's desk, sat down in his chair, placed the gun in her lap, and propped her feet up on his desk.

"Perry? Perry, please, can you hear me?" Perry was lying on his back. Della rubbed her fingers across his cheeks and over his eyelids, but he didn't make a sound... not even a fraction of movement came from his body. He was completely unconscious. A trickle of blood ran out of his mouth and nose the result of his face hitting the ground after the blow from the vase. With her heart pounding in her chest, Della pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and carefully cleaned his face. Then, she pushed the jacket back as far as she could, pulled his shirt free from his pants and quickly unbuttoned it. Next, she gently pushed up his undershirt. Anger filled her as she ran her fingers tenderly across his skin. It was already bruising a deep shade of black with tinges of blue and purple. She could also see a tremendous amount of swelling which ran all the way down his side and past the waistband of his pants. To ease the pressure on the injury, she undid his belt and his pants. Finally, she propped a throw pillow under his head and covered him with the light blanket they kept draped across the back of the couch.

Slowly, Della stood up and turned to face the woman. She walked methodically across the room. The man who had beaten Perry stood quietly behind where the woman sat in Perry's chair. The amused smile that had previously played across the other woman's face disappeared as she watched Della approach her. Della stopped in front of Perry's desk and, without speaking, looked from the woman to the man. Then, quite abruptly, Della leaned across the desk and said, "What in the hell is going on here?" Without warning, Della then knocked the woman's feet off the desk. The force of the push nearly caused the woman to tip out of Perry's chair.

Remembering what the woman said earlier about Della being feisty, the man looked her up and down in a way that made Della's skin crawl. "Say Margie?" he said, "you gonna let her get away with that?"

Shocked, the woman regained her composure, stood up, pointed the gun at Della, and walked quickly around the desk to meet her face to face.

"What's going on here, Miss Street, is plain and simple revenge... an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

"Revenge? That's ridiculous! We don't even know you!" Della's cheeks reddened as anger continued to mount within her.

The woman moved closer to her and tapped Della's chest with the end of the gun causing her to take in a deep breath.

"You know me, my dear. We have met, albeit, briefly. Your boss over there took away the only person who meant anything to me in my entire life. You were part of that so I'm gonna take him away from you." The woman took another step closer to Della and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "And then you will suffer the way I have suffered." Della felt the woman's breath on her neck. She could smell the lingering scent of vodka and it sickened her. She turned her face away from the woman who backed up slowly and leaned against Perry's desk never removing her eyes from Della's face.

Della looked back at the woman. "Why exactly would I suffer if you took him away from me? I would be out of a job. Big deal. I would just find another." Della turned away and walked towards the windows. She glanced over at Perry who still lay unconscious on the couch.

The woman's sharp laughter caused her to cross her arms and quickly turn her around. "What's so funny, Margie?" Della asked in such a sarcastic tone that the woman quieted mid-laugh and locked an inimical stare onto Della. Della could tell right away the woman did not like her flippant use of her name.

"You're what's so funny,"the woman said with venom in her voice. "You're not fooling me, Miss Street. We've been watching you and Mason for a while. Sure, you may find another job... maybe even someone to share you're bed and keep you warm." The woman looked back at the man and smiled. However, he did not look happy at her insinuation. He had been crazy about her for a while and could never steal her away from Joseph Gibbs. Is that really all he was to her now? Something to keep her bed warm? He became angry and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"But I've seen the look in your eyes when you're with Mason. You're in love with him and that won't be so easy to replace now, will it?"

Della's face was expressionless. "You said this was plan B. That means there must have been a plan A. What happened to it?"

"Well " the woman said in a drawn out voice, "that didn't go so well." She twirled the gun around her finger as if it were a toy. "You see we were going to kill you both last night, but you disappeared into thin air after leaving the hotel bar."

"You were watching us last night?" Della asked incredulously a sudden feeling of déjà vu flooding over her. She and Perry had just been through something like this. What were the odds of it happening again?

"Yes, yes, yes .we were watching you well ...not me ...he had a man watching you." The woman waved her thumb in the direction of the man and he smiled and winked at Della. "Did you think I was joshing with you just now when I said we'd been watching you?"

"Go on," Della said in an incensed voice.

"Don't tell her too much Margie or we'll have to kill her too?"

Della was outraged and could no longer contain herself. "Well, it seems to me that neither one of you know what the hell you're doing so please do go on and tell me everything. First, you say you want to kill Mr. Mason and leave me behind to suffer a life without him and now you say you were watching us last night with the intention of killing both of us. So, which one is it? Do you even have a plan? Because, thus far, this whole thing sounds rather idiotic to me!"

The woman looked furiously at Della and moved across the room in Perry's direction. She stopped within inches of where he lay and pointed the gun at his temple.

Della felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest and she took a deep, steadying breath.

"Idiotic, you say?" the woman shouted at her angrily. "The plan WAS to kill both of you off and Albert Sanders too, but when you two very `IDIOTICALLY' left Mason's car unattended with a loaded gun in the glove compartment, the plan changed. I killed Albert Sanders with Mason's gun. I thought framing you both for murder seemed a better payback than a quick death, but, when I read in the evening papers you had only been questioned and released, I knew I had to come back after you " The woman was almost out of her mind with fury. She tapped the gun rigorously against Perry's head. Della held her breath and silently prayed it would not go off. "So, which one is it you ask? What do you think?" she directed her question at the man still standing behind Perry's desk. "Which one should it be? Should we go with the original plan and kill them both or should we just kill him and leave her to suffer with the memory of watching him die?"

The man scratched his head and walked in Della's direction. "You're calling the shots Margie. I'll do whatever you want." He stopped within a couple of feet of Della, skimmed over her body with his eyes and said in an over exaggerated voice, "What do you say girlie you wanna die tonight or just let your `boss' take the bullet for you both?"

"You bastard," Della replied as she brought her hand up to slap his face.

He caught her arm with his hand, smiled, and jerked her body into his so that his breath felt hot upon her face. "Now, now haven't we had enough violence tonight?" he whispered only for her to hear. "Play nice and I'll make sure you don't get hurt." Della recoiled from his touch, but he pulled her that much closer to him.

The loud ringing of the phone sliced through the mounting tension in the room.

"Let her go," ordered the woman. She walked quickly towards Della. "Shouldn't that be going through to his service or something?" she asked.

"Normally, it would," Della replied, "but I guess our receptionist forgot to switch the calls over before leaving for the night."

"Answer it," she said motioning towards the phone with the gun, "and make it quick, understand?" Della nodded her head and picked up the receiver.

"Perry Mason's Office," she said in the most normal sounding voice she could muster given the current circumstances.

"Well hello, Della. I was wondering if I would catch you and Perry still at the office. Say, it's nearly 7:30 PM. I'm sorry if our little run-in today got you so far behind on work."

Della immediately recognized the voice of Lieutenant Arthur Tragg and knew this was her one chance to save both she and Perry.

"Well you know us work, work, work. What can I do for you this evening Arthur?" she said very pleasantly.

"I'd like to speak with Perry about this morning. I know I told him it wasn't any of his business, but I do feel terrible about that suicide note Sanders left him. We have a witness who identified the man who was in Perry's car with the shooter and and I think he'll find his identity very interesting." Tragg stammered out wondering why on Earth she called him by his first name.

"I'm afraid he's not here, Arthur," she looked up at the woman who was motioning with the gun for her to speed up the conversation and hang up, "he had a late meeting scheduled with Harry Marlow over at Orchids Unlimited and plans to head straight home when it's done."

Alarmed, Tragg replied, "Harry Marlow's dead, Della ." But she cut him off.

Laughing lightly, she said, "Don't be silly Arthur I know that, but Perry couldn't get out of it ...said it was practically a matter of life and death."

"Della, if you and Perry are in the office and in some kind of danger, laugh again and I can be there in less than five minutes with back up."

Della laughed delightedly and replied, "That sounds just lovely, Arthur. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated by both of us. We look forward to seeing you in the near future. Bye-bye now."

As Della hung up the phone, she heard a moaning sound coming from the couch. Her fake smile disappeared and, without looking at either the man or the woman, she rushed to the couch to check Perry's condition.

Across town, Lieutenant Arthur Tragg, followed by numerous policemen, were rushing out the door and jumping into a police cruiser. The call had been made there was a hostage situation at the downtown Brent Building involving Perry Mason. All available officers were to respond... no sirens ...only flashing lights. Although a homicide detective, Tragg was going to personally make sure each floor of the building was silently secured thus preserving the element of surprise. Perry Mason may be a pain in his hind end most of the time, but, personally, he liked and respected him. After everything he and Della had been through the past 4 months, Tragg wasn't about to let anything else happen to them


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Case of the Hesitant Hostess Chapter 10**_

Just as Della reached his side, Perry tried to sit up on the couch, but couldn't due to the dizziness and pain he felt in his neck and head.

"Della?" he called out hoarsely.

"I'm right here, Perry." Della sat on the edge of the couch next to him and gently traced her fingers across his furrowed brow. She then leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Perry caught her by the upper arms as she kissed him and held her closely so his lips almost touched her right ear. "I thought I told you to try and get out of here," he whispered.

"And I thought I made my intentions perfectly clear when I said no, Counselor."

Perry and Della gazed at one another for a brief moment, but his attention was diverted by a figure that had moved across the room and now stood menacingly over them while holding a baseball bat.

"Hey Margie... come look at this. I clobbered him pretty good," the man said as he swung the bat over his shoulder. He then took his fingers and twirled one of the dark curls at the base of Della's neck and smiled as he looked down at her.

Della held her breath and closed her eyes for a split second. Noticing the intimacy of the man's touch and Della's reaction, Perry's eyes darkened and he felt a rush of adrenaline. He tried to sit up again, but the man took the bat and shoved the end of it into his chest effectively knocking him back down onto the couch. Della stood and faced the man angrily. "Don't touch him again," she snapped.

He raised his eyebrows in response and smiled lewdly at her.

From across the room, Perry heard the blonde woman he now knew was named, `Margie,' cackle delightedly. He turned his head and watched as she approached the couch.

"Take a hike, toots," she told Della as she pushed past her and sat down next to Perry. "I need to have a little talk with your man." Margie then made a motion with her thumb towards the man with the bat. "Take her outta here, Eddie. Go check on Tag and see if he's still knocked out."

"Sure thing, Margie." Eddie winked at Della and grabbed her by the arm. Perry tried to sit up again, but Margie pushed him back down. Playfully, she tapped the end of his nose with the gun and said, "Oh no you don't, Mason. We have to talk. Besides, Eddie'll take real good care of Miss Street. Won't cha Eddie?" she called out over her shoulder.

Eddie stopped just as he and Della reached the office door.

"Oh sure ... I will real good care." With that, Eddie and Della disappeared out of Perry's sight.

"All right. What do you want to talk about?" Perry asked.

"Well aren't you the least bit curious?" Margie replied.

"About what in particular?" he responded sardonically. "I'm damned curious about a lot of things."

"Okay, okay... I get it. So you're a little frosted at me." Perry said nothing so she continued. "I think you should be a little bit curious about why Albert Sanders was murdered... why I stole your car and your gun and did it... and how you and Miss Street are lucky to be alive even now?"

"It was you? You're responsible for all of that?" he asked with a mixture of confusion and increasing animosity. "What do you mean we're lucky to be alive? Why did you kill Albert Sanders? What could he have possibly done to you?"

"It's just like I told your secretary. Payback. An eye for an eye. You took away my whole life, Mason, the day you got Joseph Gibbs arrested and now I'm slowly gonna take yours. Me and Eddie went to kill you both that night... Sanders too but you and Miss Street disappeared so quickly. See, you caused Eddie to kind of lose everything too `cause he was Joe's business partner. When we couldn't find you to kill you, we stole your car, ya know, to cause you some grief... have your car seen near the Sanders' place after we killed him but, my oh my, that gun in the glove compartment was the icing on the cake so we decided to use it and frame you."

Her eyes were cold and empty as she spoke and Perry knew his time was running out.

"Now listen, my secretary has nothing to do with the intimate particulars of any of my cases," Perry lied, "so why don't you let her go? Any retribution or payback, as you call it, should be directed at me ... not her." Perry's mind was racing. He did not like the way the man touched Della's hair, her reaction to the touch, or how the man had looked at her. The look was almost indecent. What had been going on between the man and Della while he'd been unconscious? Perry's ears strained to hear what was happening in the outer offices ...strained to hear any sounds that might signify Della was in trouble.

Margie's shrill laughter pierced his thoughts and brought his attention back to her.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a clenched jaw.

"You, Mason, you." She again tapped the end of his nose with the gun. "It's just so chivalrous," she said, accentuating each word with a tap of the gun. She then deepened her voice and mocked him.

" `My secretary has nothing to do with the intimate particulars of any of my cases.' That's swell! Just like I didn't know any of the intimate particulars of the Universal Modeling Agency, yet you sent her over there. You had her pretend to be a model so she could pump my Joe for information. I know you did because I saw her. I talked to her while she was there. I left to run an errand, and when I came back, Joe had thrown her out."

She smiled as she witnessed a look of complete comprehension slowly register upon Perry's face. "You wouldn't have sent just anyone over there to see Joe. You'd have sent someone you trusted." She paused to gauge his reaction and then continued. "From what I've seen, Miss Street knows more than just the intimate particulars of your cases." She raised her eyebrows, teasingly ran the tip of her tongue along her lips, and then lightly smacked them together.

"You worked at the Universal Modeling Agency. You're Joseph Gibbs' secretary." Perry couldn't believe it.

A flash of anger spread across her face and she stood up abruptly and walked towards Perry's desk.

"I was more than just his secretary, Mason! Just like she's " Margie pointed the gun towards the door Della and Eddie had walked out of moments earlier, " more than just your secretary. Joe and I were a couple. We were gonna get married. We were gonna leave this hell hole of Los Angeles once we had enough money ...open up a swanky, legit agency overseas. `Live high on the hog, Margie.' That's what he always told me and then that Kim Lane came along and threatened to ruin everything so he killed her, Mason. He killed her for us ...for our future. When we had the perfect patsy for her murder, you had to come along and get him off the hook!"

Perry couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this time he thought Gibbs had acted alone in Kim Lane's murder, but it wasn't true. He had an accessory and she'd been walking around free for these past couple of months plotting her revenge. All this time, he'd thought Albert was unlucky and that Kim Lane's murder weapon had just been randomly dropped in his trashcan. Now, Perry knew Albert had been set up. He had been preyed upon by these people who probably viewed him as just another drunk ...totally expendable.

Margie was out of her mind with fury and resentment. She spun around wildly as she yelled at Perry, "It's all your fault!" Just as she got those last words out and her back was turned to him, the sound of a gunshot rang out from the outer offices. Before shock could register on Perry's or Margie's faces, it was followed by the sound of another gunshot.

`Della' Perry thought desperately as he jumped from the couch and tackled Margie. She dropped the gun in the struggle and Perry managed to kick it across the room towards the law library doors.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Eddie shut the door to Perry's office without ever releasing his grip on Della's arm. "Come on," he said as pulled her across her office and towards the receptionist's area, "You heard her. We gotta check on Tag and see if he's awake yet."

"Let go of me. You're hurting my arm." Della complained resentfully, struggling against him as he pulled her.

"Oh pipe down, will ya? Go lean down over there and tell me if he's breathing," Eddie demanded, keeping a firm grip on her arm and pushing her in the direction of his accomplice.

"Do it yourself," Della hissed hatefully. Eddie cocked his head, let out an exasperated breath, and pushed her again in the direction of the unconscious young man lying on the floor. She stumbled a little, but caught her balance by grabbing hold of Gertie's desk. When she looked back hatefully at Eddie, he nodded his head impatiently in the direction of Tagg. Della took a couple of steps and leaned over to look at the man. Eddie stepped back and looked her up and down in admiration.

"You know, your boss is one lucky man. Must be nice to sit around and look at a woman like you all day."

Della checked Tag's breathing and pulse. She also felt around in his jacket like she was checking for broken bones, but she was really looking for a gun or other weapon... no such luck. She rolled her eyes when she heard Eddie's words. She stood up, turned to face him, and put her hands on her hips.

"He probably has a concussion, but I'm not a doctor so I can't be sure. His breathing and pulse seem okay and it doesn't feel like he's got any broken bones. You got any more requests?"

"Yeah. I think I do." Eddie grabbed Della around the waist. "Why don't you make nice and slow dance with me while I hum us a little tune. God, you smell good. I could just eat you up."

"Not a chance!" Della shouted, shoving him away from her.

"That's not very nice, Doll. I thought I told you earlier you should play nice." He grabbed at Della again but she brought her elbow up and hit him in the throat causing him to gasp and sputter. He dropped the bat and she lunged for it. He grabbed her by the back of her dress, ripping it down the zipper. She swung the bat and hit him in the back of his knees, causing him to fall towards her. The bat fell from her hand and rolled away. As she was trying to crawl backwards away from him, he brought his fist back to hit her. Then, one gun shot...he arched upwards in pain. Then, another gunshot, as Arthur Tragg intervened, saving Della from an uncertain fate.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Dizzy and in excruciating pain, Perry tried to crawl towards the doors to get to Della but Margie was already up and running after the gun he'd kicked away.

"Ohhh Counselorrrrrr," she sang out as she secured the gun. "Don't run away from me. I want to see the light leave your eyes." Perry turned to look at her.

She could not hide the contempt. Lt. Tragg burst through the door. Margie raised her hands in the air and danced wildly with the gun...laughing at the Lt. as he yelled for her to drop it or else.

"You have until the count of three to drop the gun! One !" Margie continued to dance and laugh wildly.

"Two!"

Margie made no attempt to drop the gun. She spun in another circle and, with one final laugh, fired off several shots in the direction of the voice just as Perry heard, "Three!"

Suddenly, the smell of her smoking gun made Perry feel nauseous and light headed. He covered his head with his hands as a series of shots were rattled off in exchange from Tragg and the other cops with him from several different directions... hitting Margie in the chest and shoulders. She fell backwards into the wall and was dead before her body slumped to the ground.

Perry opened his eyes and painfully rolled over onto his side. He clutched his ribs and felt the nausea and dizziness in his head intensify. Just before losing consciousness, he saw Lieutenant Arthur Tragg clutching his chest and laying on the office floor near the couch his white dress shirt soaked in bright red blood.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Albert's Suicide Letter

The blinds had been pulled open allowing both artificial light from the parking lot below and the natural light of the moon above to cast an eerie glow across the hospital room of Perry Mason. Unable to sleep, Paul Drake sat in a chair near the window. Sometimes he watched the sporadic comings and goings of the cars below. Other times, he found himself staring at his best friends... Perry, as he lay in the bed asleep, and Della, protectively lying next to him, her arms gently wrapped around his left arm and her face snuggled into the side of his shoulder. When she'd finally fallen asleep, out of sheer exhaustion, around midnight, Paul had draped Perry's jacket across her.

He'd been on a stakeout when the news of the hostage situation and shootings came over the radio. He'd sped through the downtown streets to get to the Brent Building only to be told by an officer upon arrival that Perry had already been transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The officer would not tell him the extent of Perry's injuries or who in the building might have been shot. Frustrated and scared, Paul then drove towards the hospital. It was déjà vu. The images of Della's shooting and her blood soaked body played through his mind. Snapshot images of his dead colleagues his friends dead at the hands of Harry Marlow's goons, flitted in and out of his mind too. His stomach tied into a sickening knot and his neck and face had felt hot. He'd half-hazardly parked his car in the hospital parking lot and ran through the doors of the emergency room. It was only after finding Della... after confirming that both she and Perry were safe that he'd found out the shocking details of what happened in the hours after he'd left their office.

He heard someone stirring in the bed and looked over to find Perry grimacing in pain. It was the first time he'd awakened since losing consciousness hours earlier in his office. Relieved, Paul quickly stood up and walked to the side of the bed.

"Hey pal, am I glad to see you. You alright?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Perry looked up at him. It took him a moment to adjust his eyes to the dim lighting and his mind to his surroundings. He realized he was no longer in his office, but a hospital. He shook his head 'yes' to answer Paul's question. Then, feeling someone next to him, he looked down and saw Della. He breathed a sigh of relief. She obviously hadn't been hit by the gunshots he'd heard from the outer offices or she wouldn't be in bed with him right now. Suddenly, he remembered the last image he saw before passing out and motioned for Paul to come closer.

"Tragg... how's Tragg?"

"He made it through surgery. He was hit once. The doctor's removed the bullet. It was lodged near his spine, but they don't think he sustained any long term damage there. He lost a lot of blood and that was a concern, but his wife seemed hopeful when Della spoke with her earlier. He's in the critical intensive care unit now. No one's allowed to see him but her."

Perry looked away towards the window and then brought his free hand up to rub his eyes.

"Come on, Perry. He's a tough old codger. You know that." Paul gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Do we even know what he was doing at my office that late, Paul?"

Paul smiled and nodded in Della's direction. "Oh yeah, you can thank doll face there when she wakes up... seems Tragg called the office to try and catch you before you left... wanted to talk to you about a lead in the Albert Sanders case. You're just damned lucky Gertie forgot to send your calls to the service before she left. Anyway, the phone rang. You'd already been beaten unconscious and, not wanting to arouse any suspicions, they had Della answer. Smart little cookie alerted Tragg to the situation by talking in code and, well, here we are."

Perry smiled and looked down at her. "That's my girl," he said quietly. He looked back at Paul. "What was the lead?

"Tragg had an eye witness who spent hours pouring over mug shots of men who matched the description given at the scene of the crime... just a hunch on Tragg's part that the man might already have a record. Well, he got a positive I.D. The witness came across a picture and said it was the guy in the car with the shooter... some winner named Eddie Castanata."

"Eddie? The same Eddie, I suppose, who banged me up with the bat?" Perry asked.

"One in the same. He was Joseph Gibbs' partner in the heroin smuggling ring you helped bust up when you cleared Sanders on that murder charge," replied Paul.

"Yeah, I know. Gibbs' girlfriend told me about him when she had me on the other side of her gun."

"Well, Tragg shot him twice when " Paul's voice trailed off. He looked at Della and then looked down at the floor.

"When what?" Perry demanded.

Paul took a deep breath. "Tragg walked in and found Eddie and Della having quite the row. Della told me Eddie dropped his bat when he made a pass at her. She rebuffed clobbered him with the bat, and he was about to smack her back when Tragg came in and shot him first in the shoulder and then the leg."

Perry shook his head in disbelief. "So those were the shots I heard from the outer offices."

"Yep," Paul replied. Both men looked down at Della who'd begun to stir a little. Perry held his finger up to his lips to signal Paul to hush for a moment. Della snuggled closer to Perry, but did not wake.

"She's out like a light, Paul. How long has she been asleep anyway?"

Paul checked his watch. "About two hours. She's gotta be exhausted. She was all over this hospital checking on you, then checking on Tragg, comforting Tragg's wife, answering a million questions from the police. It took me forever to get her to settle down ...said she wasn't gonna sleep until you woke up and she saw you were okay. The nurse brought in a cot but I couldn't get her to rest unless she was as close to you as possible."

Paul smiled slyly and then added, "I'm sure having her here in bed with you isn't a major inconvenience."

Perry chuckled and then brought his free hand up to his ribs. "Damn."

"Yeah, you got yourself four cracked ribs, a lot of bruises on your stomach and chest and a pretty good sized lump on the back of your head. The doctor's already told Della you're gonna have to stay at least three days."

Perry grimaced and replied, "Three days? We'll see about that."

Paul smiled and motioned at Della. "She's already cleared your schedule, called Gertie, called Hamilton Burger about a continuance, and assured the doctor you'll be a model patient."

Perry smiled and looked down at Della. "She called Hamilton Burger for a continuance? I wonder how well that went over."

"He said of all the lousy, rotten tricks you've pulled, this one takes the cake ...and he hopes you get better real soon," Paul said as he reached over and gave Perry's shoulder another squeeze.

"Sounds like something he'd say," Perry replied as he shook his head and smiled.

"Listen Paul it's really late. Why don't you head home and get some sleep. Della and I will be fine here."

"Sure thing, Perry. I'll stop in around 10 A.M. to check on you. I'll want to see how Tragg's doing too. Try to get some sleep, okay."

"I will. Good night, Paul."

"Good night." As Paul walked around the side of Perry's bed and towards the hospital room door, he leaned over and whispered in Della's ear, "Good night, beautiful." He then winked at Perry and sauntered out.

Alone in the quiet hospital room, Perry replayed the events of the past twenty four hours and shook his head in disbelief that it had happened again. Another person tied to one of his cases had sought revenge against him and Della had been put into the middle of another dangerous situation. An old nagging fear resurfaced. If they ever married... if they ever had children, who's to say someone would not go after them in an act of revenge? It had torn him up twice now... threatened to send him to the brink of insanity... that Della had been put in harm's way. The thought of an innocent child, one created with Della, the person he loved more than his own life, was simply unbearable and he fought an internal struggle for several minutes as he pushed away all the scenarios that tried to take hold and play in his imagination.

Feeling his ribs and stomach start to ache, Perry gently maneuvered his body so that he was on his side. Somehow, it hurt less in this position. He let out a deep sigh and relaxed for what felt like the first time in an eternity. Next, he slipped his arm out of Della's embrace. Once free, he put the arm around her and drew her closer to his body so they were almost face to face. A contented smile came to her lips and Perry couldn't help but brush a soft kiss across them. She pulled his jacket more tightly around her and it was then he noticed the envelope, which had slipped from its place in his inner pocket. Perry stared at the envelope for several long moments: Albert's suicide letter. In the midst of all the chaos tonight with Margie and Eddie and then Tragg, he'd forgotten about it.

Tragg. When Perry had asked him in the interrogation room if he'd read the letter, Tragg shook his head affirmatively, but he was somber about it... almost depressed. Tragg wasn't really the sensitive, overemotional type. What had he read that would have such an affect on him? Perry had to know the contents of the letter. He wouldn't sleep a wink otherwise.

`Of all the people to address it to, why me?' he thought as he very carefully slipped the envelope from his jacket pocket. `Why not Jasper and Anna Marie Todd? They were his family after all? They were the ones so desperate for information regarding the accident which claimed his wife, Andrea, and their two children.' Perry shook the envelope and watched as the letter fell out and landed between his and Della's bodies. He unfolded and smoothed it out against his thigh and then held it up. Using the dim light cascading in through the hospital room window, Perry Mason read the last words of Albert Sanders.

Dear Mr. Mason,

I know you told me it was just a horrible accident and not my fault. Do you remember? You said it the day you came and told me you were gonna be my lawyer. I've heard you say those words a thousand times in my mind since then and because you had so much faith in me and got me a job and all, I've tried Mr. Mason, I really have. I quit drinking and I started going to those meetings you told me about to help me work on my grief. I ain't even missed a day work at the record store even though I don't sleep too good at night and sure don't feel like getting up in the mornings. I've really tried not to let you down, not to disappoint you after you had so much faith in me and gave me a chance when others just saw me as a worthless drunk, but I can't go on anymore. See, when it comes right down to it, Mr. Mason, accident or not, I am responsible.

I have nightmares about it every night. I hear my son's screams in my sleep, his pleading for help, his pleading for his mother, his crying as he watched his sister bleed to death. I saw the pool of blood that was left behind when she was pulled from the wreck and when I close my eyes at night, I still see that blood, hear the breaking of glass, and the crunching of metal. Sometimes, I even hear it when I'm awake. Thank you for trying to help me Mr. Mason, for trying to save me, but some people are just too far past saving. I want to be dead. I pray to God for death every night, yet I'm still here every morning.

I miss my kids. I miss my wife. I'd loved her since we were kids in school. She had soft brown hair that fell at her shoulders, blue-green eyes and, well, I was just hooked from day one. I miss the smell of her hair, her soft skin, and the power of her kisses. They made me weak in the knees. But most of all Mr. Mason, I miss my best friend. She was the one I confided in. She was the one I felt the safest with. She always knew just what to say to make me smile and laugh when things looked their worst and really brought the light into my life everyday. I can't go on any longer without her. Eight years has already been too long. Maybe it's a sin, but I'm tired of waiting on God to answer my prayers. Do you understand, Mr. Mason? Do you know what it's like to love a woman so much you'd lay down your life for her? Do you know what it's like to love a woman so much that if anything hurts her, you feel like you can't breathe? Now, what if you caused that hurt like I did? Have you ever really loved a woman this much? If so, then you know why I must go.

Sincerely,

Albert Sanders.

Perry read the letter several times before folding it over and reaching gingerly across Della to place it on the table next to his bed. He then rubbed the twinge in his side and looked down at her as she slept peacefully next to him. He took his hand and ran it through her hair, pushing it away from her face and then let his hand travel softly down her neck, shoulder, and arm. She opened her eyes and looked into his face.

"Perry are you okay? Do you need anything?" She asked. He kissed her forehead. "No Della. I'm fine go back to sleep." But, she'd already drifted off before he finished the words. As Perry once again reflected upon the events of the night as well as those from four months before, Albert's last words reverberated in his mind, `Have you ever really loved a woman this much?'

Just as he drifted off to sleep, Perry rested his lips against Della's forehead again and whispered, "Yes Albert yes, I really know what it's like to love a woman that much."


End file.
